A Badly Kept Secret
by Symphonic Madness
Summary: In which Toph gets tired of Zuko and Katara dancing around each other and pretending to hate each other. So naturally, Toph has to get involved and play matchmaker for Sparky and Sugar Queen. May or may not turn into a full blown story depending on what people want.


**In which Toph is sick of Zuko and Katara arguing, even though she knows they have feelings for one another. So naturally, she has to step in and try to get them together. Sokka, Aang, and the rest of the group are oblivious, as usual, to the signs that our lovable firebender and our sweet, young waterbender are in love with one another. Toph intends to fix that, too. So what does she do? Read and find out!**

Great. Katara and I are going at it again. She's making me so frustrated.

"What did I do wrong?!" I shout.

"You came here!" Katara retorts. "You should've just stayed at your palace with all your servants and all your glory, you selfish, spoiled, prince!"

"Will you guys shut up?!" Toph exclaims. "Like seriously. You're shaking the temple with your screaming at one another."

"Whatever. I'm done here," Katara says, exasperated by the situation.

"Come with me, Sparky. You and I need to have a talk," Toph says, taking me by the arm and dragging me away.

We get to a secluded part of the temple, and Toph sits down. "Sit, Sparky."

"I'm not a dog." But I follow her orders anyway.

"I know Katara has a crush on you," Toph says.

"Yeah. So do I. So what's the point of this conversation?" I ask.

"Don't tempt me, Sparky. I could send you flying if I wanted to," Toph warns. "The point of this conversation is I know you like her like that, too."

"No. I don't," I say.

"I can tell you're lying," she says in a mocking tone of voice.

"Fine. I think she's beautiful and wonderful and so much more. You happy?" I ask.

"Quite, actually," Toph says, and begins walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" I ask.

"It's almost dinner time. Sugar Queen sure makes some good grub," Toph says.

I follow her back to where the group has gathered, and then I sit down as Katara hands me a bowl of soup. Our eyes meet, and she tries to glare at me, but her blush gives her away.

"Freakin' firebender," she mutters.

I smirk and she looks like she wants to hit me as she hands Toph her bowl. Her death glare just makes my smirk get wider. We eat dinner as Katara asks Aang about how his firebending training is going, and Aang goes on and on about how I'm such a strict teacher and how he has to do so much. He talks as if I'm not sitting right across from him. Soon, though, after Sokka, Suki, Aang, and the rest of the group get done eating, they retire to their rooms; leaving Toph, Katara, and I all sitting in awkward silence. But just as Katara is about to storm into her room in a fit of artificial rage, Toph speaks up.

"Not so fast, Sugar Queen," Toph says.

She gets up, and gets into an earthbending stance. Before I know it, a huge, slanted wall of rock separates Katara and me from her. Soon, Katara and I are locked in a dark, earth tent. We try to protest, but the young earthbender has none of it.

"You two are gonna stay in there until you can sort out your differences," Toph yells loud enough for us to hear her inside the earth tent.

Luckily, we were close enough to the campfire that it fit inside our somewhat cramped tent without a problem. I relight the fire and Katara turns and sits down in a position where she's not facing me.

"I'm not happy about this," Katara mutters.

"Yeah you are," I say.

Katara turns around and looks at me like I've just grown another set of arms. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," I say. "I know how you feel about me. Your brother and the Avatar may be oblivious to it, but Toph and I aren't."

"I knew it! You planned this all along! Stupid firebender!" she exclaims.

"No. Actually, I didn't," I say. "Toph surprised me as much as she did you."

"I don't believe you," she says.

"Of course you don't, Katara! You never believe me!" I exclaim.

"Well I have a damn good reason to! Seeing as back at Ba Sing Se you turned out to be a twofaced liar," she says.

"But I'm better now! I'm good! I swear! And I know you see that. Don't act like I don't notice your blushing whenever our eyes meet or our hands touch. You've got it bad for me," I say.

"So I do," Katara says. "I've had this stupid, annoying crush on you since Ba Sing Se. And I can't seem to get rid of it. No matter how hard I try to convince myself that you're no good and that you'll just break my heart. Again."

"Well I've got some news for you," I say. "I'm not like that anymore. I broke up with Mai, and I intend to keep it that way. Why? Because I feel the same way you do about me. I love you, Katara. And I still can't believe that you refuse to see that and accept it. I would give _anything_ for you to trust me again. I would give the world for you to actually treat me the way you want to, but can't because of your 'image'. Why are you fighting so hard to keep that image of yourself, huh, Katara? It doesn't do any good."

"I do it because I don't want Aang to see that I don't love him as anything more than a little brother," Katara admits with tears in her eyes. "I don't want to hurt him."

I come up to her and put my hand on her shoulder. "From what I've heard, and observed, you've spent your whole life helping other people and putting their wants and needs before your own.

"If we win this war, Aang is going to say he loves you, and you're going to say you love him back, no matter how bad you don't want to. And you're gonna be miserable with him. You're gonna be known as the girlfriend and maybe even wife of the Avatar. Nothing more. I want you to be happy, Katara. More than anything. That's why I think you should use the power you possess within yourself to form and shape your own destiny. Whether you choose to be with me, or him, it's up to you. But just know that I love you, and care about you. If you don't want to be with me, I'll understand. Because if it makes you happy, Katara, I'll do anything."

Katara turns to me and hugs me tightly as she cries. I hold her there in my arms for quite some time before she lets go.

"You're right," she says. "I think… I think I'm gonna create my own destiny. The first thing I'll do, though, is make amends with someone who for so long was the face of the enemy. Zuko, I'm so sorry."

"No. It's me who should be sorry," I say, feeling guilt creep up on me. "_I_ betrayed _you_. _I_ hurt _you_. You had every right to be angry with me."

"But that doesn't excuse some of the things I said," she says. "Just say you forgive me so we can get on with our lives, shall we?"

I smile. "I forgive you, Katara."

She hugs me and kisses my cheek. I look at her, truly look at her, and realize how beautiful she looks in the dim light the campfire provides. I have to brush the backs of my fingers across her cheek just to make sure she's real. And as our lips slowly come together for the first time ever in a tender kiss, I can't think of a more perfect moment to have with her than this one; right here, right now.

We break apart and Katara yawns. I laugh a little bit at it and she crinkles her nose at me.

"What?"

"Only you would yawn after kissing somebody," I say. "But that's why I love you."

She pecks my lips. "Come on. Let's go to bed. Toph probably isn't going to let us out until morning."

I lay down on the cold temple floor, and she lies down with me. Her head is on my chest with a sleepy smile on her face.

"Goodnight, Katara," I say, kissing her head.

"Goodnight, Zuko." She yawns, then her breathing slows and I can tell she's asleep.

I extinguish the fire with my firebending, and fall asleep shortly after.

_The Next Morning_

Suddenly, a bright light is shining, and I squint through closed eyes.

"'Bout time you two make up," I hear Toph say.

I open my eyes to see her standing above Katara and me with a knowing smirk.

"Okay, you caught us," I say.

"Wait… Toph… this was _your_ plan?!" Katara asks.

"Yeah. It totally was. I surprised you and Sparky by doing what I did. And it worked out _marvelously_," Toph says, accentuating the last word devilishly. "I knew by the vibrations I was getting that you two had it bad for each other, so I talked to Zuko and that confirmed my suspicions, so I put this little plan in place."

"Katara… I can't believe you," Aang says. "We kissed at the invasion. I thought we were gonna be together. I guess we're not."

"Aang, I'm so sorry. But I just don't feel that way about you," Katara says as she gets up off of me. "Zuko taught me that I needed to think of my own happiness every once in a while, instead of constantly focusing on what other people want. You don't deserve someone who is only pretending to love you, anyway. That's what I'd have to do if I ended up with you in a romantic sense. I love Zuko, and I'm happy he loves me, too. He _will_ treat me right. I know it. So please, just try to accept the fact that I love Zuko, and we're happy together."

Aang sighs. "I don't get it. You kissed me back. Why?"

"I'm not sure you want to know the answer to that question. It would probably hurt you more," Katara says.

"I'll settle with that, then," Aang says.

"But don't think of me any different," I say. "You need to learn firebending, and I'm the only firebender willing to teach you. We just have to push through the tension and accept each other's choices and feelings."

He sighs again. "Okay. I'll try to get over it for the sake of the world, and for Katara's sake. Because even though she doesn't love me back, I'll still make you pay if you hurt her in any way."

"I won't," I say, pulling Katara to me. "I promise."

"Good. Now that we're all friends again, Katara, you should make us some food," Sokka says.

Katara walks over to her brother and punches his arm. "I will. But not until you say please."

"Fine," Sokka says, rubbing his arm. "_Please_ make us some breakfast."

"That's better," Katara says. "Come on, Zuko. Let's go. I want some company while I cook."

She gives me a sultry smile that everybody notices, and my answer is as expected. "Yes, ma'am."

I follow her into the kitchen, and note how wonderful my life suddenly has become as she plants a warm, tender kiss on my lips.


End file.
